Man-sized bug and ceiling thingys

I was going through some photos yesterday and thought I’d post the one below because I know you just love big bugs!

My brother-in-law was doing some gardening last week and I walked over to ask him a question. When I saw what was crawling on the back of his arm I said, ‘Don’t move. I’ve got to get my camera!’, (I’m such a caring person). He didn’t move and I snapped the shot. If a man has to have a bug on him – it needs to be a MAN-SIZED bug.

Don’t mind me – I’ll just sit on your arm for a bit

The RUC doors are finished and now I’ve started working on sanding and painting the windows (26 of them!) Ouch. I’ll post some before and after shots of the windows next time.

I thought I’d done well with the doors, but hubby has been working on the ceiling thingysand they’re not too bad. He scraped off the old paint and polished them up a bit (I think he’s pretty happy with himself). Some fool in the way-back-when-past (when the RUC was the Rugby Union Club) decided to punch a hole in the middle of them to hang ceiling fans, so hubby had to come up with a solution to cover the awful hole. He decided to put small LED down-lights in them.

Close-up of ceiling thingybelow

I don’t know the real name of the ceiling thingys, but if you know I’d be happy if you could let me know because I’m sick of calling them ceiling thingys.

The veranda is looking a lot less like a construction site now.

Before

Now

The RUC is looking a little neater (but not much!)

Thank you to all for downloading Manslaughter and Other Tears last week. I hope you’re enjoying the stories. And a big thank you to Dan Thompson for his review!

That is a BIG bug. Historical info for you on the ceiling medallions from ehow..com:

History. Ceiling medallions may be traced to the Middle East, though their exact origin and time period of original use are unknown. However, their popularity spread throughout Europe, with designers in France and Italy becoming particularly fond of them.

Styles. Many styles have been incorporated in ceiling medallions over the centuries, including Neoclassical (heavily influenced by Greek and Roman art and architecture), Georgian, Baroque, Adam (known as Federal style in the United States), Empire (borrowing heavily from the arches used in Parisian architecture), Victorian and Art Nouveau.

I’m hoping no one falls off the end, Nancy – maybe I should put the Olympic size pool there 😀 The railing is going up in the next few days (I say that, but who knows when someone will get around to it…)

Only four of the six ceiling medallions had holes cut in them (very crudely) so I think they must have been made ‘pre-power’ and were converted later. He’s done a good job of cleaning them up (but don’t tell him that) 😉

Aha – things are really beginning to look up with RUC!! I love the before and after pictures and continue to admire your tenacity in the restoration. I’m trying to picture the biceps – I wonder if they will be as colossal as the man-sized bug!! Here’s hoping. 🙂
My copy of Manslaughter arrived Saturday,and I am enjoying immensely!! Who’s surprised?? So delighted to read your short stories…excellent.

Great bug. It’s always nice to be able to truly appreciate a cool bug–made possible by the fact that it’s not going to eat you or poison you. The RUC looks marvelous. The veranda is looking like somewhere that you could actually go for a glass of wine, or a beer, after a long day of restoration.

Your blog posts are an endless source of fascination to me 🙂 I love the big stick insect, love love the ceiling thingies… I’ve never seen or heard of them – they are gems, and you guys have made such amazing progress restoring the RUC. Above and beyond all that, I started reading Manslaughter and Other Tears. Having read a couple of your books I already know you are a great writer but the short stories have such creativity and talent that I’ve never encountered before.

We have “walking sticks” in Wisconsin, but this Australian variety makes ours look like baby brothers. I hope you’re starting to enjoy the RUC. You and your hubby sure have put a lot of elbow grease into the place. I so love the veranda!

Ceiling thingies? You made me laugh – Hmm what about Rosettes or Medallions? I love Mr. Stick Insect – how calm are menfolk, ‘don’t move I have to get my camera’, whilst he sits not knowing if he has a scorpian, black widow or another creepy crawly, stepping up his sleeve. I’d be jumping about like a banshee! Love the RUC it is so coming along, you are going to have the verandah all the way around? I look at the view – the one where your family stood for the photos and understand how you love this place, your writers retreat. Will you work the sugar cane? It seems very close (in the pic). xx

I think the ceiling thingies are ‘medallions’ – they must let the air flow up into the ceiling on hot days 😉

We’ve closed in part of the veranda for our bedroom, kitchen and bathroom – but when it was first built the veranda went all the way around (quite spectacular indeed!)

The sugar cane is ours, but we lease a few hundred acres to another farmer to cut the cane and take it to the mill. Father-in-law had a stroke last year and can no longer work the cane, but he’s trying to get back into it (old farmers never really give up!) 😀 It is quite close to the house, so I’m going to get them to take it back a bit. They don’t burn the cane here, but I still wouldn’t like it if there was an accidental fire that close to the house 😯

Love Mr. Sticks!! so cool. He looks like he’s about 10 inches long???? Love the ceiling medallions, too. The small LED light will add a nice ambiance. I love watching your home come together. I have to ask, though…how steady are those supports? It’ looks like you could go up to one and knock it over. LOL. 🙂

LOL! The supports are very strong 😉 Each is cemented into the ground and cross-beam welded underneath. Once the walls go in downstairs and it has a concrete floor it won’t look like such a stick-figure anymore 😀

I’m so glad you like watching the progress – it’s certainly been an interesting journey 😉

Oh my word! That bug is huge! It looks like a tree limb with legs! You crack me up with your bug photos, Dianne. The veranda is nice! I’ll bet you can’t wait to get out there and write your next book. When I read your title; I thought you were referring to more bugs when you said, “ceiling thingys.” They’re some sort of medallions..they look great! Thanks for the update…things are coming along nicely. 🙂

Yikes! I’d hate to have a ceiling full of man-sized bugs. It certainly was the size of a small tree 😀

I’ve actually got another veranda out the back that I call the ‘writer’s nook’ – it will give me a lot more privacy for writing (I haven’t tried it out yet because I’ve been far too busy). I’ll post some pics of it soon 😀

For some reason I always thought ceiling roses were plaster so that’s probably why I was a little confused as to what these things were actually called. I’ve never seen brass ones before (although, the ones I’ve seen may have just been painted brass). Whatever they are, I really like them and hubby’s done a good job (but don’t tell him that!) LOL 😀

I don’t know how my brother-in-law didn’t jump out of his skin when I told him not to move – but I guess he’s just a casual and calm kind of guy!

I’m glad you think we’ve made good progress, Peter – it’s been a long hard road to this point – but I’m beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Just some more painting, sanding, cleaning hammering and then relaxation! 😀

When we moved into the school EVERYTHING was still 1950’s walnut paneling — dark, heavy, overbearing. We started in painting — pastels mostly, except for the first coats of paint in the kitchen which we did in primary white, red, and blue

The walls aren’t really going to be white – what’s on them at the moment is just undercoat. I’m going for Spanish Cream. Painting the windows isn’t too bad – it’s making the dowels to keep the glass in and painting them that’s causing me a bit of grief at the moment. I decided to go that way because I didn’t want to putty, but maybe now I’m thinking putty might be easier! 😀

Well darn Dianne, I thought your post’s title was the title of a new book by you! It sounded pretty good especially the ceiling thingys. Great photo’s. As always your posts are fun, I’d love to be your neighbor, if it wasn’t for this feeling I have that there are critters and creatures of all sizes abounding everywhere … as if they have an affinity for you or something … nah!!!! Your home is really coming along, so much hard work but worth the effort, I’m thinking! Have a great rest of your week!

ps, I missed your give-away of Manslaughter and other tears, last week, got pulled away from being online for a bit, but wanted it anyway so just downloaded to my kindle. Looking forward to a great read. Also an excellent interview, by Dan Thompson! 🙂

Thank you so much, Penny. I really hope you enjoy the stories. I would have kept them free for longer, but Amazon won’t allow it, unfortunately. You’re an absolute darling for purchasing a copy and I’m thrilled 😀

I’d love it if you were my neighbor as well – imagine all the things we could talk about and write about! 😀

My God – did he not notice that giant bug on his arm. I mean, it’s cool and all, but that would have freaked me right out! (For the record, I’m fine with snakes and geckos, but rodents and giant bugs – nuh-uh!)

The house is really coming along! I’m curious about the stilts, though. They do look rather spindly to hold up an entire house. Are they quite strong?

They are really strong, Janna. They’re cemented way down into the ground and cross-braced and welded underneath. You could run a truck into them and the place wouldn’t move. It won’t look so spindly when the downstairs area is built and the walls are up. Before we moved the house it had the same sized stilts but half as many, so it’s twice as sturdy now 😉

That bug really cracked me up – you’d think my BIL would have felt it, but he’s lived on the farm all his life so he’s probably used to these kind of weird creatures crawling on him 😀

I hate that I’ve been so busy because I’ve missed so much here! 😦
I’m just starting to catch up on my blog reading tonight.
Anyway, if I saw a bug like that on my back – I think I’d faint.
&I don’t know the name of the ceiling thingies either – but they’re pretty. 😀

I’m feeling your pain – I’m also too busy to catch-up but putting some time aside this morning to read through posts I’ve missed. 😦
I’ve found out the ceiling thingys are ‘medallions’ – very interesting indeed 😀 Thanks so much for coming by to say hello! 😉

My first comment didn’t go through so I apologize if this shows up twice later on.

I hate that I’ve been so busy lately because it seems I’ve missed a lot here. I’m catching up on some of my blog reading tonight, though. You were 1st on my list. 😀
If a bug that huge was on my back, I’d faint.
& I don’t know the name of the ceiling thingies either – but they’re pretty.

I think the RUC is looking magnificent… and the ceiling thingies might be called “whatca ma call its” (Medallions?).. love the ceiling lights that Hubbie put in the “whatca ma call its” holes, great idea….as for the stick insect, that is a really good example of how big they can become… would frighten the bejinkers out of anyone should those thorny feet crawl across your neck…

It’s so interesting to read about your RUC conversion. You’re going to live in there, right? So different to anything over here. You’re really close to those sugar cane plants too, I think? What lives in there? I presume the insect on your brother-in-law’s arm is a stick insect? It looks more like a small tree than a stick, actually. Your work is coming on beautifully. Keep at it!

The house is really starting to look wonderful. How exciting and a fitting reward for all your hard work. I know that stick insects are harmless but I don’t like the thought of wearing one on my sleeve!

My brother-in-law is not a small man so the size of it was amazing! It didn’t worry him, he’s lived on the farm all his life and is probably used to huge insects jumping on him.

The house is really coming along. I’ve got some great ideas for the colour coordination for the handrails and a design for some lovely front stairs. It’ll take time, but it’s certainly worth it in the end 😀

I did find a couple of pieces. But it’s not nearly as prolific around here as I thought it was so I’m still searching 😀 (but the good news is I found more green glass windows – the 26 I’m referring to in the post. I forgot to mention that) 😀

Ceiling thingies sound good. And please, if you ever see a bug that big on me, don’t grab your camera, swipe that thing OFF! Wowzers! I love the veranda. I was wondering why the RUC is so tall on stilts? Do you have water come through occasionally or are you by the ocean and its for tidal waves?

The RUC is high because I was ‘persuaded’ by the boys in the family to do so. The underneath is going to become the ‘man-cave’ with a pool table, darts and bar etc. I’m outnumbered on this score. But it will come in handy if there is a flood (though the boys won’t be happy if their ‘play area’ gets washed away) 😉

Man that is one BIG bug. I was so relieved that your brother-in-law was wearing sleeves. I don’t think I could have survived seeing it on bare skin. 😯 The RUC is looking fantastic. Hubby had a look at your ceiling ‘thingys’ and says that they are called ceiling ‘roses’. Nowadays they’re usually made of plaster, but the old ones were pressed steel.

I read Dan’s review, and agree with him wholeheartedly. I’ve only read two of the stories so far, and they are awesome. I’m still recovering . 🙂

I’m so glad your liking the stories, Sylvia. They’ll all very different because I love mixing things up a little 😀 When hubby saw Dan’s review he said. ‘This is fantastic. Are you sure your mum didn’t write that?’ LOL 😀

I was a bit confused about the ceiling roses because I thought they were supposed to be plaster so I’m glad your hubby took a look at them. The house is over 130 years old so it makes sense that they would have used pressed steel. I really like them and think they’re a bit of a feature 😀

You are right, I love all your bug pictures, especially because I am nowhere near them in real life 🙂 And the ceiling thingies look great, they are so pretty. You guys are doing an awesome job getting the RUC fixed up.
Just finished the first story last night, love the descriptive writing juxtaposing the girl who won’t talk. Lovely but sad!
Anywho – things are moving right along, keep the pictures coming 😀

That story won a HarperCollins award. People either love it or absolutely hate it (but at least they feel ‘something’ when they read it and I guess that’s what writing is all about). She has no voice and no name which is a big part of her tragedy.

The bugs here are amazing and I love catching one when my camera is close by (my poor BIL had to stand there waiting for a few minutes while I went and looked for the camera!) LOL 😀

I’m glad you’re enjoying the RUC pictures – I’ve got some great ideas now that the major work is out of the way 😉

Woweee…looking great Dianne! Such an amazing transformation and that veranda is just to die for! Oh gosh, just noticed the comment just above mine and yes…love the bug photos because I don’t have to actually see them up close. I am not really afraid of spiders, buuuutt…those are some damn big BUGS! Creatures! Love the updates – keep it coming! 🙂

Of course you have walking sticks four times the size of ours! Your ceiling thingys are really pretty. I’m so impressed that you’ve accomplished all this. It’s really a dream place to live and a dream home. 🙂

I would have ran for my camera too if I saw a bug that size… Wow! They really do grow them big down there. And your husband did a great job on those ceiling thingys, they look good. It’s really starting to shape up, Dianne. You must be so happy 🙂
ps
I’d love to sit with a cup of tea on that verandah of yours 🙂

Yikes! Good thing he couldn’t see the bug before you took the picture! 🙂 How fun to see the RUC in the various stages of transformation! Must feel very gratifying! Also gratifying must be reading the wonderful book review by Dan Thompson! Wow! Your stories and writing skills sound amazing! Congratulations on all your success Dianne!

Holy cow, that is one HUGE walking stick!!!! You go for giant insects in Australia, don’t you! 🙂 “Thingy” is such a good term, even though it does call to mind a certain Monty Python sketch where a government committee is looking for new “things” to tax. And someone suggests, “You know, thingy.” And Eric Idle’s character goes on to note that it would make chartered accountancy a lot more interesting. 😉 Yes, I’m a Python nerd….

Love these RUC updates, but I also hope you can find some writing time soon!

I’m a Monty Python fan as well. I remember my father used to sit and watch it laughing so much that he would be in tears! (and he was a chartered accountant!) LOL 😀

I’m thinking of dropping everything in about three weeks and setting myself up to start writing full time again. At the moment I’m only blogging about once a week, so I’ll probably drop back a little more in that area. I need to set up a routine 😀

The RUC has so many little hidden gems. I didn’t notice those things in the ceiling until hubby pointed them out because they had been painted over a hundred times! It’s just such a wonderful project and I’m really beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel now 😀

It’s so cool to discover/ uncover hidden gems. When I redid my house (a smaller project than yours! we just redid part of our existing house) we uncovered parts of a great looking fireplace under the hideous one- I was delighted!

Knowing your bugs down there I would not have been surprised if you had said the bug is on the left in red!!! Love seeing how your place is coming along. That gate on the porch is great–history?? Your work is really paying off.

Had to come out of blogging break to check out this huge bug. Something intrigues me and scares the poo-poo out of me about the creatures at the RUC. The great thing about this huge bug is that he doesn’t seem to have huge jaws or stingers.
Loving the way the homefront is developing, Dianne. So much space to breathe. Blessings.
{{{Hugs}}} Kozo

What a bug! Makes we reconsider believing in life from outer space. Did your brother in law just calmly shake it off afterwards or did he jump when he saw what you’d begged him to host long enough to get a photo? RUCs looking great…so….mmm…how’re those WIPs coming on?

That is a super-sized bug! I don’t know the official name, but we’ve always called them walking sticks (for obvious reasons!) My older son freaked out when he saw one that was about 3 inches long on our screen door. I have to show him this one! (It’s 12:30 am and he’s in bed, so it’ll have to wait til tomorrow.

The RUC is coming along well. I love to see the progress pictures. I don’t know what the ceiling thingys are either- sorry I can’t help!

The ceiling things are awesome. Even though my rational mind tells me the walking stick can’t really hurt me, it still makes me cringe. I grew up and still live in square in the middle of the country (I have the chigger bites to prove it), but I still hate bugs and snakes.

The RUC is shaping up nice, Dianne. I don’t know the name for the ceiling thingy. That’s what I would call it. How about ceiling fixture? That works for me. Yikes on the bug and how many windows you must paint. What a project!